Japanese Spend $44.2 Billion Annually on Illegal Online Betting
According to the Council for the Promotion of the Sports Ecosystem, in 2024 the total amount wagered on offshore betting sites reached $44.2 billion. The main areas were baseball, football, and basketball.
Who Compiled the Report
The study was compiled by the Council for the Promotion of the Sports Ecosystem, which includes 115 of Japan’s largest corporations, including:
- Mitsubishi UFJ Bank
- ASICS
- Konami
- SoftBank
- NTT Docomo
- NEC
- Mizuho Bank
The Council is calling for the creation of an international platform to combat illegal betting and the risks of match-fixing.
Betting Volumes and Categories
In 2024, Japanese users placed bets on sports events via overseas sites in the following amounts:
| Type of Bets | Amount (in yen) | Amount (in dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Betting Volume | ¥6.45 trillion | $44.2 billion |
| Bets on Domestic Matches | ¥1.18 trillion | $8.1 billion |
| Legal Bets (Sports Promotion Lottery) | approx. ¥131 billion | $915 million |
More than half of all illegal bets were placed on professional baseball. Football and basketball accounted for $2.3 billion.
Growth in Online Casino Popularity
Online casinos continue to gain popularity in Japan. According to the National Police Agency:
- 3.37 million Japanese visited online casinos in 2024
- Total betting volume — $8.2 billion
- 40% of players were unaware that online gambling is prohibited
According to investigators, 70% of Japanese-language online casinos operate under a Curaçao license.
Law Enforcement Measures and Scandals
From 2023 to 2024, the number of arrests related to online gambling increased by 2.6 times. In 2024, police detained 279 individuals.
In March 2024, 16 professional baseball players, including Taisuke Yamaoka of the Orix Buffaloes, were fined and disqualified for participating in betting. Later